Cloth-treating process



' 1,642,360 Se t. 13, 1927- c. H. CROWELL CLOTH TREATING PROCES 5 File y 25, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet l gwuemto'c Sept. 13, 1927. c. H. CROWELL CLOTH TREATING PROCESS Filed May 25, 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Sept. l3, 19527.

CLOTH-TREATING PROCESS.

Application filed May 25,

This invention relates especially to processes of dyeing, bleaching, washing, filling,

, coating, gumming or otherwise treating cloth fabrics of various kinds, such as for instance, as gray goods or unbleached woven fabric of various weights, including sheetings, rint cloths, tobacco cloths, cheese cloth, 00k binding cloth, or other still more 0 11 mesh material, such as mosquito nettmg or the like while minimizing or substantially preventing lateral shrinliage of the fabric. For this purpose the fabric may advanta ously be laterally stretched and then passe around one or more intermeshing can 15 rying rolls which ma be in substantial pcripheral contact so t at the cloth may be held in tight frictional or gripping en ga ement with the rolls so as to be ke t latera 1y stretched and thus prevent su stantial lateral shrinkage of the fabric web while it is being treated in various ways. These carrying rolls may for this purpose have specially prepared or frictionally engaging surfaces which may be formed by knurling or otherwise roughening metal rolls or coverin them with wire screenin material or fabric in some cases, or other brous bodied or covered rolls may be used, including wood rolls which ma have specially prepared or roughened sur aces, or rolls having incor porated abrasive material of various kinds may be used where special gripping engagement is desired. In some cases also endless metallic carrier surfaces such as endless belts of steel, aluminum, etc. may be used in this connection and may be supported on suitable drums or rolls so asto ensure the desired gripping engagement of the fabric with the convex surface of the carrier at least until it has been adhesi'vely secured thereto as by adhesive filling r other treating material applied to or incorporated with ample, be used for first applying pasty or other a ueous adhesive treating material such as fi ling, coating or gumming compositions which may be applied to and spread upon the fabric while in engagement with the convex surface of a carrier belt passing over a suitable roll or drum and then when the treating material has been forced into or through the fabric sufi'ciently to adhesiveroll by surface winding methods, so that this ly engage the carrier belt, the carrier may pass through or into suitable drying chamthe fabric. Such belt carriers may, for ex 1923. Serial No. 641,349.

hers or devices so that the treated fabric may be dried Whilestill in adhesive engage ment with the carrier after which it ma be separated or split oil from. the carrier w ich may have a smooth polished surface, if desired, or a suitably embossed or engraved 60 surface where special superficial ornamentation is to be secured on the treated fabric, such special surfaces ,being also used on carrier rolls in some cases where such effects are desired. an In some cases where thin ueous treating material is used, such as dyeing, bleachin or washing compositions, the carrying ro s may comprise perforated or screen surfaced carrier rolls which may be arran ed in a 7 liquid treating tank more orless fi led with the desired treating liquid which may penetrate the rolls so as to be applied to both sides of the web of fabric and more thor' oughl and uniformly penetrate the same. 76 The abric may, if desired, be transferred from one of these perforated carrier rolls to another by interposed transfer rolls which may have rubber or other yielding facing and be in substantial peripheral contact with 0 the carrier rolls on both sides so that the web of fabric may be kept in peripheral contact with at least one of these carrying rolls throughout its treatment at least so long as it is sufficiently wet or damp to have a tendency to shrink laterally. A series of carrying rolls may be used in connection with such perforated rolls to squeeze out the surplus treating liquid from the fabric and additional pasty or other treating material may be applied to the fabric on such carrying rolls where it is desired to fill, coat, or 'otherwise treat the dyed, bleached or washed fabric. v a .y In many cases it is desirable to apply thick,

pasty'filling, coating or gumming compositions to fabric webs and forthis purpose asuitable appl ing roll or device may apply and force tile treating material mto the fabric while mounted on a suitable carrying loo roll so as to prevent lateral shrinkage an after spreading or smoothing the treating material on the fabric while still on the carr ing roll, the fabric may be withdrawn from this carrying roll and simultaneously wound up in to a more or less tightly wound bundle bundle roll is wound up in peripheral confabric. The bundle roll of moist treated fabric may then be transferred to a suitable drying unit and forced against the periphcry of a drier drum or roll or the COID'QX surface of a metallic carrier belt by which the treated fabric may be unwound by surface winding action and transferred into frictionally gripping or adhesive engagement with the carrier surface on which it may be dried by the heat of the surface or heated air blasts or other means while being kept in peripheral contact with one or more such surfaces until it is sufficiently dry so that little or no lateral shrinkage tends to take place. It is sometimes advantageous in drying open web fabric which has not been thoroughly filled or coated to pass air throu h the fabric while it is supported on per orated drier drum which may have a screen surface through which heated air may be forced or drawn so as to dry the fabric during its passage therethrough and also, if desired, be guided along the outer surface of the fabric to exert still further drying action thereon.

in the illustrative drawing showing in a somewhat diagrammatic way various forms of apparatus which may be used for carryingv out these processes.

Fig. l is a vertical section through a treatin or coating and winding machine.

ig. 2 isa diagrammatic section through a cooperating drying apparatus which is shownon a considerably smaller scale.

Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic section through a li uid applying and treating machine whi h may be used in connection with such a drier, and

Fig. 4 is an enlarged section through one of the perforamd carrier rolls.

in the illustrative treating apparatus shown in F g. 1 the web of open mesh or woven cloth or fabric 3 may be cara over suitable guide rolls 5, 6, 7, one of which such as 5 is a laterally roll provided with spiral or other ctions to laterally stretch the it passes on to the one or more meshing carrier rolls such as 2 on which it 18 held in sufficiently gripping engagement so that lateral shrinkage is prevented. Any suitable treating material may he applied to the fabric while in such engagement with one or more carrying rollsof this general and an applying roll such as 4: may 1 carry up the pasty or other treating mate- Laaaaao rial 20 in the tank 19 which may be removably mounted in the frame 10 of the machine so as to apply this material to the fabric 3 and, if desired. force it into and through the fabric so as to ensure the adhesive engagement between the fabric and the carrier roll 2. For this purpose it is usually desirable to have the applying roll 4 adjustable with respect to the cooperating carrier roll and the bearings 22 of this applying roll may be moved by worm adjusting gear 21 so as to accprately adjust the distance between these rolls and ensure the. desired amount of ma-.

sired action is secured. The treated and more or less moist or wet fabric may then be transferred to a suitable drier drum or element, or what is preferable from the practical standpoint, in many cases, the fabric may then be wound up into a more or less tightly wound bundle roll 1 by surface winding methods while still in peri heral contact with thefinal carrier roll 2. n this way the fabric is not at any point unsupported or free to shrink laterally. Various surface winding devices may be used to form this bundle roll which, as indicated in Fig. 1. may be wound up by the surface winding action of the carrier roll 2 and also, if desired, by a slip belt drive comprising the drive wheel 8 and the belt or sprocket chain 9 which may tend to drive or rotate the bundle roll through slipping action at a peripheral speed slightly faster than the speed of the carrier roll. In some cases it is desirable to regulate the force with which the bundle roll presses against the carrier roll and for this purpose a counter weight lever 25 connected through suitable lifting gear 23 may tend to lift the bearings 24: at each end of the bundle roll, this lifting action increasing as the bundle roll increases in diameter and weight so as to more or less equalize its downward pressure on the carrier roll. In some cases it is desirable to clean the carrier roll and remove therefrom any adherent treating material and for flu" purpose a moistener 15 and oscillating or other scraper 16 operated by the laterally oscillating arm 18 or otherwise, may be arranged in cooperation with the free surface of the carrier roll so as to remove undesirable material therefrom before it a ain engages another part of the fabric web- Of course such a machine may be used for unwinding such bundle rolls, if desired, which may be arranged above the carrier roll or at one side of the same in which case the bundle roll may, for example, be supporte in a counter weighted or counter balancedfmorable bearing device 26 shown as secured to the frame 10 at the right of Fig. 1.

In many cases it is convenient to transfer the bundle rolls of treated fabric to other treating or drying machines, especially since drum type driers cannot efficiently operate at the same surface speed as many types of treating or applying machines. Fig. 2 shows diagrammatically a drum drier which may comprise a large metallic drum 3() six or eight feet or more in diameter which may be heated by an internal steam space 51. This drier drum may be rotated at the desired speed so as to unwind the treated fabric 3 from the bundle roll 1. by surface winding action, the bundle roll being, if desired, mounted for this purpose, in more or less vertical or inclined bearing slots 61, if desired, so as to have peripheral contact with the drier drum to which the damp or moist fabric web may adhere where adhesive tillin or coating compositions have been applied to the fabric. This fabric after passmg more or less around the drier drum may be removed therefrom by being drawn over a peripherally engaging guide roll 34 which may be mounted in suitably inclined tightening uides 64 so as to disengage the substantia ly or wholly dried fabric from the drier drum and allow it to be withdrawn by the tension of the fabric to slitting, trimming or winding machines or the like. The drying of the fabric may be facilitated by air blasts and heated air from the conduit 36 may be blown or passed against the drying web of fabric on the drier drum and pass around the circumferential blast passage 35 in the opposite direction to the fabric web so as to pro ressively engage the wetter or inoister fabric and remove additional mois-- ture therefrom by surface evaporation before this air enters the exhaust passage 37 so as to be withdrawn into the, fan or other exhauster 38 and discharged.

In some cases, especially Where more thinly li 'uid treating material is applied to the fa ibric, it is desirable to use a series of perforated or screen surfaced carrier rolls such as the three carrier or treating rolls 46, 48, 50 which may be mounted in a steam jacketed or other treating tank having a steam or other heating jacket 56 more or less surrounding the same and supplied with steam or other heating fluid through the pipes 57. 58. In this way the dyeing, bleaching, washing or other treating liquid 59 may have maintained at the desired temperature and may more or less penetrate the open ended carrier rolls so as to be applied to the inner surface of the fabric as well as the outer peripheral surface of the fabric web in engagement with the carrier rolls. As

shown in Fig. 4, the carrier rolls such as 48 may for this purpose be formed with buckets such as the angle iron buckets or partitions on which the inner or heavier open mesh screen 64 is supported to properly support the finer meshed outer screen or fine woven wire 63 forming a substantially smooth perforated surface over which the fabric 54 may extend. As this bucket roll rotates about its bearing 61, it carries up treating material 59 above the normal level of the liquid in the tank and allows this liquid to run or work out through the screen and fabric to more thoroughly engage the inner surface of the fabric next to the roll. In order to maintain the fabric in constant peripheral contact with these screen rolls interposed yielding rubber faced transfer rolls such as 45, 47. 49 ma be rovided in peripheral contact therewit so t lat the web of fabric is transferred from one to another of these intcrmeshing rolls without leaving it free to shrink laterally. In this way the fabric may be transferred to other carrying or pressing rolls such as 44 mounted in the vertical part 40 of the frame 39 and cooperating, if desired, with a yielding or rubber transfer roll 43 and a metallic or other carrier or winding roll 42, these rolls being, if desired. in such close contact as to squeeze or express more or less of the treating material from the fabric where it has been immersed in treating material of this general description. If desired, also in some cases, additional filling, sizing or coating material of a somewhat more thick or pasty character may be applied to the fabric while, for instance, it is passing over the last carrier roll 42 and for this urpose an applying roll 65 having its bearings 66 adjustably or otherwise mounted in the frame may carry up and force into the fabric any suitable treating material 68 in the tank or trough 67. It is usually desirable to preliminarily stretch or extend the fabric laterally before it passes into engagement with these carrying rolls and for this purpose, as shown at the left of Fig. 3, the fabric 54: may

ass over one or more guiding or stretchmg rolls 51, 52. 53, the last one of which, such as 51, may have spiral ribs or projections so as to stretch the web laterally ]l1St before it comes into frictionally gripping engagement with the intermeshing carrying rolls. The dyed. filled or otherwise treated fabric on the final carrying roll 42 may then. if desired, be further treated or dried, and in many cases, it. is desirable to first wind up the treated fabric by surface winding methods into a bundle roll such as 41. so that the fabric is wound directly from the carrier roll 42 into this bundle roll in peripheral contact therewith, which prevents or greatly minimizes lateral shrinkage at this part of the process. Of course in the case of some very open mesh fabric such as super book binding cloth, mosquito netting and the like, there is sometimes a greater tendency to shrink laterally and in such cases webs of impervious r waterproof paper or other suitable carrierwebs may e wound up with the fabric into such bundle rolls as ll so as to more surely prevent undesirable lateral shrinkage of the fabric, these interwound supporting or carrier'webs being, of course, preferably removed when the fabric is dried on drier drums or devices of, the general type shown in Fig. 2, and where the bundle roll 41 consists merely of the treated fabric, such a bundle roll may be applied directly to the periphery of the drier drum and unwound by peripheral contact therewith, if

desired. so as to be dried in this way.

This invention has been described in connection with a number of illustrative materials, proportlons, conditions, arrangements and apparatus, to the details of which disclosure the invention is not of course to be limited, since what is claimed as new and fill what is desired to be secured by Letters Patent is set forth in the appended claims.

ric which comprises passing it over a es of rotating intermeshing treating id transfer rolls in substantial peripheral tact with each other to maintain said web frictionally gripping peripheral contact an said rolls, applying treating liquid to 0th sides of said fabric while on said treatrolls, applying and. forcing into said 'c additional treating liguid material said fabric is on a win ing roll, and ran a the damp treated fabric into a bundle loll while in peripheral contact with said winding roll to prevent lateral shrinkage of the fabric, transferring said bundle roll into peripheral contact with a drier drum and drying the treated fabric while in peripheral contact with said drum to substantially prevent lateral shrinkage of the drying fabric.

2 The process of treating a web of fabric which comprises passing the fabric over a series of ro g intermeshing treating and transfer 'naintain said web in grip ping contact with said rolls, ap-

treating material to said said treating rolls, applyoreating material to said winding roll, and drying c to substantially prevent age-of the drying fabric.

Mia process of treating a web of fabric, m h comprises passing the fabric over a s of rotating intermeshing treating and rolls, maintaining said web in gripoheral contact with said rolls, apa ueous treating material to said while on said rolls, and drying the The process of treating a web of 1,642,2lbd

treated fabric in peripheral contact with a winding roll whereby substantial lateral shrinkage of the drying fabric is prevented.

4. The process of treating a web of fabric which comprises laterally stretching the fabric and passing it over a series of treating carrier rolls having interposed transfer carrier rolls in substantial peripheral contact with said treating carrier rolls to maintain said web in gripping peripheral contact with said rolls, applying aqueous treating material to both sides of said fabric,

rolling the damp treated fabric tightly into a'bundle roll while in peripheral contact with one of said carrier rolls to prevent lateral shrinkage of the fabric, transferring said bundle roll into peripheral contact with a drier drum and drying the treated fabric while in peripheral contact with said drum to substantially prevent lateral shrinkage oft-he drying fabric.

5. The process of treating a web of fabric which comprises laterally stretching the fabric and passing it over a series of cooperating carrying rolls to maintain said web in frictional peripheral contact with said rolls, applying aqueous treatin material to said fabric while on one of sai rolls to prevent lateral shrinkage of the fabric, rolling the damp treated fabric into a bundle roll while in peripheral contact with one of said carrying rolls to prevent lateral shrinkage of the fabric, transferring said bundle roll into peripheral contact with a drier drum and drying the treated fabric While in peripheral contact with said drum to substantially prevent lateral shrinkage of the fabric.

6. The process of treating a web of fabric which comprises passing it over a series of carrying rolls to maintain said web in peripheral contact with said rolls, a plying moistening treating material to sai fabric while on said rolls, rolling the damp treated fabric into a bundle while in peripheral contact with one of said carrying rolls to pre vent lateral shrinkage of the fabric, transferring said bundle roll into contact with a drier drum, unwinding said bundle roll and drying the treated fabric while in periph eral contact with said drum to substantially prevent lateral shrinkage of the fabric.

7. The process of filling or treating open mesh cloth fabric which comprises applying to a laterally stretched web of fabric in frictional engagement with a moving endless metallic carrier surface a coating of treating material, spreading said material and forcing the same into and throughthe fabric, winding the treated fabric into a tightly wound bundle roll in continuous peripheral engagement with said carrier surface to prevent lateral shrinkage while allowing said treating material to penetrate and unite with the fibers of the fabric, translid and drying the treated web while in peripheral contact with said drum and while exposed to drying air blasts to substantially prevent lateral shrinkage of the drying fabric.

8. The process of filling or treating cloth fabric which comprises applying to a laterally stretched web of fabric infrictional engagement with a movin endless carrier surface a coating of adhesive treating material, spreading said material and forcing the same into and through the fabric, winding the treated fabric into a bundle roll in continuous peripheral engagement with said carrier surface to prevent lateral shrinkage while allowing said treating material to enetrate and unite with the fibers of the abric, transferring said bundle roll into peripheral contact with a heated drier drum n and drying the treated web while in peripheral contact with said drum to substantially prevent lateral shrinkage of the drying fabno.

9. The process of treating a web of open mesh fabric which comprises laterally stretching the fabric and passing it over a rotating carrier roll to maintain said web in peripheral contact with said roll, a plying liquid treating material to said fabric while on said carrier roll and rolling the damp treated fabric tightly into a bundle roll while in peripheral contact with said carrier roll to prevent lateral shrinkage of the fabric, and drying said fabric while preventing substantial lateral shrinkage thereof.

10. The process of treating a web of fabric which comprises laterally stretching the fab ric and passing it over a rotating carrier roll to maintain said web in peripheral contact with said roll, applying liquid treating material to said fabric while on said carrier roll and rolling the damp treated fabric into a bundle roll while in peripheral contact with said carrier roll to prevent lateral shrinkage of the fabric.

11. The process of treating a web of fabric which comprises laterally stretching and passing the fabric over a carrier roll, a plying liquid treating material to said fdbric and forcing said material into said fabric while on said carrierroll and rolling the damp treated fabric into a bundle roll while in peripheral contact with said carrier roll to prevent lateral shrinkage of the fabric.

12. The process of treating cloth fabric which comprises applying treating material to a web of fabric in frictional engagement with a rotating carrier roll, winding the treated fabric into a bundle roll in continuous peripheral engagement with said carrier roll to prevent lateral shrinkage of the fabric, transferring said bundle roll into contact with a rotating drier drum, unwinding from said bundle roll and drying the treated fabric while in peripheral contact with said drum to substantially prevent lateral shrinkage of the drying fabric.

13. The process of filling or treating cloth fabric which comprises applying to a laterally stretched web of fabric in frictional engagement with a rotating metallic surface carrier roll, treating material, forcing said material into and through the fabric, winding the treated fabric into a bundle roll while in continuous'peripheral engagement with said carrier roll to prevent lateral shrinkage, transferring said bundle roll into peripheral contact with a heated rotating drier drum and drying the treated fabric while in peripheral contactwith said drum to substantially prevent lateral shrinkage of the drying fabric.

CHARLES H. CROWELL. 

